Used primarily as a key intermediate in the synthesis of agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. Its sulfonyl chloride group readily reacts with amines to form sulfonamides, which are important structural motifs in several bioactive compounds. It is also employed in the preparation of dyes and fluorescent probes due to the electron-withdrawing nitro group and the methoxy substituent that influence photophysical properties. In research, it serves as a derivatizing agent for chromatographic detection of trace amines. The compound’s selectivity and reactivity make it valuable in combinatorial chemistry and drug discovery for building sulfonamide libraries.